Pin-pool board.



P. G. HOBBS.

PIN POOL BOARD.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 20,1912.

1,049,235, Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

WITNESSES g 6 /l/WENTO ATTORNEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHXNGTON. D. CI.

FRANK C. HOBBS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

ASSIGNOB TO THE BRUNSWICK-BALKE- COLLENDER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPQRATION OF NEW YORK.

PIN-POOL BOARD.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. Hones, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, (whose postoifice address is care of The Brunswick- Balke-Collender Company, of New York, New York city, N. Y.,) have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pin-Pool Boards, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to pin-pool boards, 2'. e. the game board which is provided with a series of small cuplike ball receptacles, in which the players number-balls are kept, and, usually, with score holes and pegs wit-h which each player keeps his score, or tally of the pins he knocks down, until he either scores a number which, added to that on his concealed ball (in his cup of the scoreboard) counts fifteen, for game; or else makes a greater aggregate and bursts his score,as it is called.

As heretofore made, the little metallic cup-shaped ball-holder has been formed with a hinged door-like front piece arranged to swing down and open, and so as to be fastened in its closed up position by a simple clip fastener or lip, on the perimeterof the circular door engaging with the sheet metal circular rim, or edge of the cup. And in the use of such lmown construction of ball-holding cups, it has been found in practice (especially after some use of the device) that this little cup lid, or door gets out of working order and lets the ball out, or eX- posed to view. Furthermore, as the sheet metal cup has to be secured in place, in its seat in the wooden board, by screws or nails, the device is difiicult and expensive of manufacture.

I propose to provide for use a metallic cup-shaped ball-holder of such construction that when closed up, wit-h the players ball confined therein, the gravity of the confined ball will keep the door closed without any fastening device, while, at the same time, when the hinged front door is opened out (and down into the horizontal position) the gravity of the ball, then resting on the opened door, will hold it in this position, while at the same time permitting the door, with the ball resting thereon to be readily turned up into the (vertical) closed position.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 20, 1912.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

Serial No. 710,729.

Also of such construction that no screws, nails or other such devices are necessary to efiect the securement in place, in the wooden board, of the said cup-like ball holder; the latter being composed of a simple sheet metal tubular body that is so made and. shaped, with a longitudinal slit in its body, that it may be simply sprung into an auger bore in the board and will, by its resiliency remain securely fixed therein, thus not only reducing the cost of manufacture of the score board, but effecting a better one, than those now in use.

My invention may, therefore, be said to consist in a cup-shaped ball holder possessing the first-named attributes; and second, in one which may be securely fastened in the score board in the manner I have suggested.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates to understand and practise the same, I will now proceed to more fully describe it, referring by letters to the accompanying drawing in which I have shown my improved score board made precisely as I have so far made it in the actual practising of my invention.

In the drawing Figure l is a partial face view or elevation of my score board showing enough to present to view one of the improved ball receptacles, in a closed condition-a players ball being supposed to be shut up in the ball cup. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but with the cup door opened out and down in the horizontal positioneither for the extrication of the ball, or for the insertion of one. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in a plane indicated by the dotted line 3-3 at Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical section at 4.4 of Fig. 1.

In the several figures the same part will be found always designated by the same letter of reference.

A is the wooden score board, made as usual, except that it is formed with simply a cylindrical housing, or auger bore for the reception of my improved metallic cup, that requires no screwing or nailing to the board.

B is the cylindrical (tubular) body of the ball-holder, that is made of sheet metal and which has a longitudinal slit in it, some where, preferably at the bottom part, to permit a slight contraction of the tube circumferentially when it is driven into the bore of the wooden board A, wherein its expansion (till the meeting edges of its slit freely contact) produces a tight fit in the bore of the board A, and thus an etlicient and last ing securement therein of the said tubular body B of the ball-holder.

At the lower front (slightly projecting) end of B there are formed two small integral. ears 0, c in which are located the ends 6, 0 of a hinge or pintle bar i, which, together with the said ears constitutes the hinge joint of the cup cover 0, which, as shown, is dishing and of such size that when closed up its flat rim part f contacts with the outer circular edge of B and its small finger-piece 9 projects above the outer edge of B sufficiently to ailord easy access to it with the finger, to open out said closed cover C and permit it to turn into the position seen at Fig. 3. An integral extension piece D of this cover C extends upwardly (see Fig. 3) from the hinge portion of the latter and is made slightly dishing, as shown, and when a ball is placed in the cover C and the latter is then closed up (from the position seen at Fig. 3 to that shown at Fig. i) the gravity of the ball, then resting wholly on D operates to hold it down, in its horizontal. position and accordingly to force and hold the cup cover C home in its closed position (see Fig. i).

It will be observed that my novel ball holder device is not only extremely simple in structure and cheap to manufacture; is securely and permanently combined, or assembled with a board formed with a simple auger bore; but that, furthermore, the concrete device is such that the door, or hinged cover of the cup is held closed by the gravity of the ball in the cup, while at the same time roaazse when opened out (as seen at Fig. 3) for the reception of the ball (shown in dotted lines) it will remain so until supplied with a ball; whereupon on closing up the cover with the ball in, the latter automatically translates its gravity to the extension piece D and operates to hold the door C closed.

Having now so fully described and illustrated my improved score board thatthose skilled in the art can easily make and use the same, and wishing it to be understood that, of course, mere modifications may be made in the device without departing from the spirit of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a pin pool score board, a ballholder comprising a hinged cover and a ball supporting device rigidly connected to the cover and lying on opposite sides of the hinge, onto which the inserted ball rolls, upon closing up the cover into a vertical position, to maintain said cover in the closed condition.

In a pin pool score board, a ball-holder provided with a hinged cover and comprising a split, tubular, body portion that is sprung and retained into a simple bore hole, in the board; and is thereby permanently combined with the board without the use of any separate fastening device; substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 19th day of July, 1912.

FRANK C. HOBBS,

In the presence of CHAS. RIOKUMAN, R. A. HANCOCK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

